Gearing and selective coupling means



March 1955 x. B. K. GREEN ET AL GEARING AND SELECTIVE COUPLING MEANS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ,k f m 5 Z M M Filed June 18, 1953 March 29, 1955 x. B.K. GREEN El AL 2,704,940

GEARING AND SELECTIVE'COUPLING MEANS Filed June 18, 1 953 2 Sheets-Sheet2 United stat P 16 10 2,704,940 I GEARING AND SELECTIVE COUPLlNGiMEANSXan B. K. Green, New Paltz, and Harry Preble, Jr., Cross River, N. Y.,assignors to General Slicing Machine Co., Inc., Walden, N. Y., acorporation of New Yorkv Application June 18, 1953, SerialNo. 362,551

9 Claims. (01. 74- -16) improved construction for slicing machinesjasmentioned,

which is suitable and adaptable in .t'oodslicers having a rotary discblade; the feature of this invention being the use of shaft-drivenattachments as for instance, a. meat chopper, a vegetable grater or thelike, to be run; I one at a time by the motive power which drives saldmachine, and that said blade shall be automatically arranged to remainat rest while any attachment is associated with themachine. -:In fact,any attachment "as soon as mounted, will have caused the blade of theslicing machine to 13600111631111 remain disengaged". Not until suchattachment is removed from the machine, is it possible to make the bladeoperate again.

Another object hereof is to provide a novel and proved slicing machineof the character described, which is easy to operate and efiicient incarrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparentas this disclosureproceeds.

1n the accompanying drawings forming'part of this specification, similarcharacters of reference indicate-corresponding parts in all the views. 1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a motor-driven slicing machine embodyingthe teachings ofthis invention. 11

Fig. 2 is a perspective view'of the machine-shown in condition to drivea. meat chopper attachment mounted thereon. L I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken "at-lines 3-3 in Fig. l.slicing operation.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig.3, showing'jthegmachine'in condition to operatethe meat chopper which 'has been' mounted thereon. The cutting blade ofthe slicing machine is forever at rest in this set up. Upon operation ofthe motor, the blade will not move, but-the shaft of the attached devicewill be d'rive'n, I 5

Fig. 5 is a section taken at line 55-in'- Fig.3, through the hub of theblade wheel; parts lying within the bore of said hub, being omittedtoattain clarity' 'of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a sleeve member which serves in thismachine to selectively drive either the blade or the shaft of anattachment as will be explained:

In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of this invention, thenumeral 15 designates generally a rotary circular cutting blade. Theactual cutting member is a flat ring 16 whose outer periphery 16 issharpened. This ring is secured onto the face of the rim flange 17 of adished wheel 17 which has a central hub 18 extending into the housing19. This housing, from which extends outwardly thereof, that part of thering 16 which does the actual cutting, is secured on the base 29 of theframe of the slicing machine denoted generally by the numeral 20. Thereduced free end of hub 18, slides into and is thus set rotatably in abearing 28 which is mounted on or is fashioned as part of the housing19. This hub 18 has a central bore 18, which at the free end of said hubwithin the housing 19, terminates in a counterbore 26 of non-circularperimeter. The same may be hexagonal as shown.

Interior the housing 19, and extending therefrom towards the free end ofthe hub 18, is a boss 25 of cir- Here the machine is in condition for"38 on the sleeve 30; such flange 38 affording that the 2,704,940Patented Mar- 9 ice cular cross section. Its end near the hub 18 is ofreduced diameter as shown at 24. its part of larger diameter is shown as23. The shoulder thus formed between such boss parts is indicated by thenumeral 22. This boss 25 is in axial alignment with the hub 18 when theblade is mounted in its bearing 23. Although called a boss, it serves asa stud on which a certain sleeve, now to be described, is mounted, andis also used as the mount for a member for snirtmg said sleevetherealong. I

The numeral '30 designates generally a sleeve member which is a tube ofcircular cross section havingan external flange 31 intermediate itsends. The perimetral edge of this flange is hexagonal and is adapted toengagingly fit into the counterbore or socket 26, from which it isremovable. This sleeve has suitable interior diameters-to removably fiton the boss and to slide longitudinally therealong and is so mounted on'said,

boss. Said sleeve also extends into the central bore of the hub 18 inwhich it may rotate as in a bearing even when said sleeve is slid onsaid boss 25 so that the flange 31 is out of the socket 26 in the hub ofthe blade 15. On that portion of the sleeve 30 which is on the boss 25,it carries a wide-faced gear 33 which is in constant engagement withgearing 32 driven as for instance by the electric motor 34. Said sleeve30 is adapted to engage the non-circular end 35 of a shaft 36 in thenon-circular opening 37 at the entrance to said sleeve which is withinthe hub 18. In the embodiment illustrated, the shaft end is square andsaid sleeve entrance is of the same shape and of engagement-admittingsize for said shaft end. It might here be noted that the boss 25 is madestepped to provide a stop means as at 22 to limit the longitudinalmovement of the sleeve 30.

when the flange 31 is out of engagement from the hub The entranceopening 37 is in an inward flange sleeve be pushed by manually shiftingthe member 39, to effect engagement of the cutting blade 15 so that thelatter is driven when the operation of slicing there- 1 with is desired.

shank carriesa hand knob 41 on its exterior end-and has. a flange 42-atits other end which is within the"sleevef 30.1. Saidflange 42 iscircular and in rotatable fit. with the "sleeves. interior adjacent theinner surface of the flange 38. A bowed blade spring is loosely carriedon' the shankpart intermediate theknob 41 and the housing" 19, as shownat 43. Shank is provided at its inner end with a threaded central hole44 for detachable en.- gagement with the screw 45- which extendscentrallyfrom the hub '46 of a disc 47. This hub 46 fits within thecentral bore 18? of the hub 18 and supportsthe said hub for rotationthereon. As a-composite unitary structure 50, elements 45, 46, 47 may bedeemed a screw of reduced diameter having an enlarged clear shank and acomparatively large disc for a head. The diameter of this disc 47 isslightly less than the inside diameter of .the knife ring 16, and saiddisc may'be' deemed positioned in the plane of said ring tho the latteris shown slightly frusto-conical in form. This disc carries a series ofequi-spaced rollers as 48 which ride on the dished surface of the Wheel17 when the assembly is as shown in Fig. 1.

In the slicing machine set-up shown in Fig. 3, the sleeve 30 is inengagement with the cutting blade 15, because the hexagonal flange 31 iswithin the socket 26. Upon operation of the motor 34, gearing 32 willdrive the gear 33 and hence the blade 15.

To use the machine for operating another shaftdriven device as forinstance a meat chopper 51 whose drive shaft is 36, the motor isstilled. Knob 41 is turned to disengage the disc-including structure 50so that the latter is removed. The chopper 51 or any other shaftdrivendevice is in any suitable manner mounted on the frame of the machine 20or otherwise, so that its shaft 36 enters the hub 18 to position theshaft end 35 within and in engagement with the non-circular opening 37and to push the sleeve 30 automatically out of engagement from the hub18 of the cutting blade 15, as shown in Fig. 4. The shaft 36 is of adimension so that it is spaced from the wheel 15. Said automatic shiftof the sleeve 30 upon the mounting of the attachment device 51, haspushed the shank 40, partially out of the housing 19, because of thecontact of flange 38 with the flange 42, of the sleeve and shank members30 and 40 respectively. Now upon operation of the motor 34, gearing 32will drive the gear 33 and hence the shaft 36 of the attached device 51.The blade being disengaged, remains at rest; the sleeve being loose inits fit within the bore of the hub 18.

To restore for use as a slicing machine, the attachment 51 is of courseremoved and the disc-headed screw structure 50 is put back in place asin Fig. 3. Then by turning the knob 41 after sliding it into the housing19 as far as it will go, the screw 45 is made to engage said shank 40and the sleeves flange 31 is again set in the socket 26. The presence ofthe spring means 43 allows the adjustment that the blade 15 run with acertain degree of tightness, a condition commonly called tensioning theblade.

When the attachment device as 51 is mounted, it is in fixed relation tothe frame of the machine 20. It is therefore impossible during thiscondition to shift the sleeve 30, or is accidental movement of saidsleeve possible. Hence disengagement of the blade 15 remains positive.The shoulder 36 of the shaft 36, acts as the stop means to keep thesleeve 30 from driving engagement with the blade 15.

The attachment device 51 may be mounted by means of a thumb screw 53engaging the housing 19 at 55 and passing through a hole 54 in the bladewheel 15 to assure rest position for the blade.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein shall bedeemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall coverall patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to thefollowing claims rather than to the specific description herein toindicate the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a coupling device for selectively driving a wheel and a shaft, aframe presenting a bearing and a boss coaxial with said bearing andextending part way into said bearing, a first wheel provided with a hub;said hub being positioned within said bearing and rotatable therein;said hub and boss, each having a bore therethrough which bores are inaxial alignment, a bushing positioned on said boss and extending withinthe bore in said hub; said bushing being slidable and rotatable inrelation to said boss and hub; said hub and bushing having cooperativemeans engaging them whereupon upon rotation of the bushing, said firstwheel will also rotate and adapted upon movement of said bushing in adirection outwards of the hub, to disengage, a second wheel rotatablymount ed on the frame, a third wheel securely carried on the bushingexterior the bearing, in constant engagement with said second wheel atall positions of said bushing; the end of the bushing within the hub,having means suitable for releasably engaging the end of a shaft, ashank slidably positioned through the bore in the boss and extendingfrom each end of said boss; one end of said shank being within thebushing and its other end being accessible in space, a member carried onthe accessible end of said shank to limit the movement of said shankinto the bushing, cooperating elements on said shank within the bushingand on said bushing; the element on the shank holding said bushing inthe hub where by the said bushing is engaged for rotation with said hub;said element disengaging when the shank is slid in a direction outwardlyof said bushing; said shank being provided with an engagement means atits end within the bushing and accessible through the bore in the hub ofthe first wheel, a disc having a boss on one surface thereof; said lastmentioned boss being rotatably positioned within the bore in the hub ofthe first wheel and presenting engagement means cooperating with theengagement means on the shank to hold the shank and thereby the bushing,against sliding movement, whereupon removal of said disc, the bushingand said shank are free for sliding movement whereby said bushing andhub may be disengaged and the first wheel thereupon remains at restwhile the second wheel and bushing are rotating.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the means to hold the discand shank in assembly are in threaded engagement.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first wheel isdished on its face which is opposite the face thereof the hub is on andthereby presenting a rim and wherein the disc substantially covers saiddished formation and lies substantially in the plane of said rim andincluding spacer elements extending to the face of th; filrst wheel fromsaid disc for contact with said first w ee 4. The apparatus as definedin claim 3, wherein said spacer elements include a roller on each ofthem; said rcillerls being in rolling contact with the face of the firstw ee 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the mentionedshaft-engaging means on the bushing comprises an inward flange on saidbushing; said inward flange having a non-circular hole accessiblethrough the bore in the hub of the first wheel.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for thebushing and the hub of the first wheel to engage so that they turntogether, comprising an outward non-circular flange on said bushing anda socket in said hub into and out of which said flange moves uponsliding movement of said bushing; said flange engaging vsaid hub when insaid socket.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the lililentioned flangeand socket are regular polygonal in s ape.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, including compression springmeans between the frame and the memher on the shank.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the frame and firstwheel are each provided with a hole therethrough at one position of saidwheel on the frame; said holes being in alignment for the reception of apin element therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

